Nanomachine War series Box Set

by Don Viecelli

  The underground passenger shuttles were small in size, but very fast in the supersonic vacuum tubes. Each shuttle, which looked like a smooth, bullet shaped pod without windows, could hold twenty passengers. Killian and Jopar stepped inside the third shuttle, waited for it to fill up and everyone to buckle up in their seats, before the shuttle quickly left the station. There were no signs of forward motion; just a slight vibration felt beneath their feet. Someone commented they felt like they were on a spaceship in outer space. Most wished it were true—anywhere but on Qum.

  Killian finally accepted the fact they were fleeing the research center to escape the Yoyka once again, but she was concerned. “Won’t the Yoyka find us if we use the shuttle tube?”

  “Randu says the main switching station will delete the final destination information. The shuttles will all separate and be re-routed across the country before we arrive at the new government facility. We’ll be safe, Killian,” Jopar assured her holding her hand.

  Even so, time passed slowly. Killian counted the number of times the shuttle monitor indicated they were changing vacuum tube tunnels. She reached five before the shuttle finally stopped to let them out.

  “We have arrived,” Jopar said. They stood up as everyone waited for the doors to open.

  “Do you know where we are?”

  “Not yet. Someone will tell us soon enough. Come on. Let’s find out what this place is like.”

  Jopar led Killian off the shuttle onto a small platform that led to a single doorway large enough for two people to enter at a time. A Holtu military officer stood by the door and let them pass through. It was obvious from their surroundings, they were still underground. There were no destination signs.

  Finally, a Qumru government official greeted the people standing before him. “Welcome to the Kemu Underground Facility. You are safe here. My name is Administrator Odalu. I am from the Western Government Region. A few of us were sent here when the Yoyka nanomachine infection reached Stage Five. This is a place for our central government leaders to come in an emergency, but none made it here in time. I’m afraid there are no scientific laboratories here, but I have been assured by the Holtu military that arrangements will be made soon to allow you to continue your work. Right now, I will show you to your living quarters. Please follow me.”

  Killian looked at Jopar. “What can we do here? They have no laboratory facilities.”

  “We had to leave in a hurry, Killian. You know that. We will find a way to continue our work as soon as we can. Right now, let’s find our room and then get something to eat. Once we see First Leader Randu, he will tell us what we need to know.”

  *****

  First Leader Randu was still at the Research Facility with several of his android soldiers setting explosives in the quantum computer room while others were doing the same thing in the regeneration chamber room.

  “We’re almost ready, First Leader. The explosives are in place,” Second Leader Konutu stated.

  “Good. Make sure the timers have been activated. Then tell your team to go to the vacuum tube and leave on the next shuttle. Do not wait for me.”

  Randu checked with his other team over his comlink and told them the same thing. Then he left the room for one last visit to the command center. It only took a few minutes before Randu entered the room and stood next to a row of viewscreens that showed what was happening above their mountain location. It was worst than he imagined.

  “Everyone is on the shuttle, First Leader. We’re leaving the station as commanded,” Konutu reported over Randu’s comlink.

  “That is good, Second Leader. I will see you soon.”

  He shut off his comlink. Outside on the viewing screens were three Yoyka troop transport shuttles hovering above him. Randu estimated at least 150 Yoyka ground troops were preparing to land on top of the mountain. He watched the shuttles land and the troops depart. They were all heavily armed as they encircled the mountaintop looking for the entrance. They would find it soon and enter the complex.

  Randu looked at his wristcom. The timers for the explosive devices that would destroy the Onutu mind transfer quantum computers and the regeneration chambers were not set to go off before the Yoyka troops entered the facility. However, Randu could set off the explosions with his control device at any time. Suddenly, an alarm went off in the command center indicating the entrance door to the research facility had been breached.

  He turned to the viewing screens that monitored the inside hallways, labs and exits throughout the facility. Yoyka troops were pouring in through the main entrance and seemed to know where they were going. It was obvious to Randu they had floor plans and knew what they were looking for. One group of soldiers was already headed for the shuttle train vacuum tube station. Randu was cut off.

  Randu did not wait a second longer. He initiated the explosive devices and the rumble of explosions shook the entire facility. It was too late for him to escape, but that was no longer his intent. He had a military tactical opportunity to hit the enemy where it would hurt the most. From what he was seeing, he knew the Yoyka were desperate to get their hands on Qumru Onutu technology. The troops sent to this facility were a large part of the Yoyka ground troops sent to eliminate the resistance fighters on Qum. Their deaths would help other Holtu androids protect Qumru people still free on Qum.

  The research facility had a self-destruction command. It was meant to leave no trace of whatever sensitive information that must not fall into enemy hands. Randu did not hesitate to initiate the command sequence. He had seconds to activate his Onutu mind link with a mental command and send a quantum data memory burst. His android body would be destroyed, but his mind and last thoughts would survive.

  The bomb blast tore off the entire top of the mountain before imploding inward destroying everything inside. The Yoyka troops and transport shuttles above ground disappeared in the sudden blast of debris and billowing dust cloud that followed.

  Chapter 22

  Yoykan

  Imperial Leader Rahta was furious. His wrath could be heard outside his palace office doors even before High Commander Anahta knocked.

  “Enter!” Rahta demanded.

  Anahta opened the door and walked up to Emperor Rahta. He bowed before him. “I came as soon as I heard what happened, Imperial Leader.”

  “The loss of one hundred and fifty Imperial Troops on Qum is totally unacceptable! I want those responsible found and eliminated immediately!”

  “The research facility had a self-destruct command we did not know about, Imperial Leader. It was initiated by a Holtu military leader before our troops could locate him. The entire facility was destroyed.”

  Rahta reared his head and glared at his top military commander. “I must have that Onutu mind transfer and body regeneration technology before we destroy Holtu, Commander!”

  “I agree, but not all is lost. The Qumru scientists hiding in the research facility escaped before it was destroyed. There was an underground vacuum-tube supersonic transport hub connected to the facility. We will find out where they went soon.”

  Rahta appeared to calm down a little as he walked back to his desk and sat down. “How will you find them?”

  “It will be difficult, Imperial Leader, but our transportation engineers are working on the problem now. The scientists covered their tracks well, so to speak, but we have learned there are other secret government facilities located on Qum. We will find them in time.”

  Rahta looked off into the distance at the views outside his office contemplating what to say next. “This Qumru race perplexes me, Commander Anahta. They appeared to be no more threatening than other races we conquered, yet they persist to give me problems. We need to end this threat quickly.”

  “They are a surprising race, Imperial Leader, with their advanced technology and androids, but I have no doubt they will be completely subjugated as soon as we deal with the Holtu androids.”

  “Speaking of this, I was informed we lost several Spitka fighters over Ho
ltu. What did we learn?”

  “It is true, Imperial Leader. We did lose six fighters, but we gained useful data on the Holtu star system defenses. Their home planet is well defended, but they do not have enough warships to stop our fleet from destroying their military capability. We should attack them as soon as possible with a large warship fleet.”

  Rahta waved his big hands in the air in emphasis. “Sentient androids have no place in the universe. They are not real beings and must be totally eliminated from existence. If this means we have to destroy the entire planet, so be it.”

  “The Qumru on Holtu still have the technology we seek, Imperial Leader. We cannot kill them all before you have what you seek.”

  Rahta shook his head in frustration. “Find me the Onutu technology on Qum. Then we will destroy the Holtu androids and Qumru if we must.”

  “And the Humans?” Anahta asked.

  “With the Holtu gone and the Qumru people under my control, Humans have no chance against our new enhanced nanomachines.”

  Anahta hesitated before replying. “This will be the first time we use this new nanomachine technology, Imperial Leader. It has not been thoroughly tested. We do not know what effects it will have on people or planets.”

  “What better race to test it on than Humans! We can destroy their whole planet if it gets out of control with no loss to our Empire.”

  Anahta had reservations about using this new weapon, but kept it well hidden. He could not oppose its use directly and keep his loyalty and position with the Emperor. “I will make sure the nanomachine weapon is available, Imperial Leader.”

  “Send more troops to Qum, Commander. I want all resistance groups found and eliminated— but capture the Onutu scientists alive so they can be interrogated. Once we have the Onutu technology for ourselves, they can be eliminated.”

  “As you command, Emperor Rahta.” Anata bowed once again as he left the room. It was time to prepare the warfleet to attack Holtu before the situation became even more complicated than it already was.

  Chapter 23

  Last Day On Holtu

  The last few days Doug and Janice spent together on Holtu were the most romantic and adventurous times of their lives. Never, in his wildest dreams or in his lifetime did Doug ever expect to visit another habitable planet in a faraway star system filled with exotic life forms, natural wonders and beautiful cities with intelligent aliens serving as guides. It was beyond imagination.

  “I don’t believe we’ll ever find another place as beautiful as Holtu,” Doug whispered in Jan’s ear as they watched the rushing waterfall cascading down the mountainside into a large river basin.

  “You may be right, but I heard from Tumil that Qum is even more beautiful than this place.” Jan leaned over and kissed Doug on the cheek. The temperature was cooler here and they both had on light jackets.

  “We better get going, Jan. We need to be back in the city before dark. We have to leave tomorrow.”

  “I don’t want to leave, Doug. It’s beautiful here and we haven’t even explored the Teotu Sempu canyon.”

  “We’ll come back; I promise.” Doug wanted to explore the canyon system on Holtu as much as Jan did. They both loved exploring the canyons on Mars and Earth. Jan discovered the first multicellular microorganisms on Mars exploring the Valles Marineris canyon with its underground volcanic tubes where ice formed. Jan planned to take back samples of similar microorganisms from Holtu to compare to those found on Mars as part of her research studies. Jan explained it all leads to the understanding of how life begins on planetary systems.

  Their guide, a young Qumru student who worked for Tumil called to them to return to the air vehicle. It was time to return to the city.

  The ride back took less than an hour. They crossed over the mountains that surrounded Iconda all the way to the shore line. It was a beautiful sight as the air vehicle slowly descended to a landing pad near the Capitol Building. From there, Doug and Jan returned to their hotel to get ready for dinner. They were meeting James and Tumil at a nearby restaurant to enjoy a local meal together before they left Holtu in the morning.

  It did not take long to change clothes into something more suitable for dinner. Doug put on tan dress slacks and a long sleeved brown shirt. Jan decided to dress up with a pretty one piece floral colored dress with v-neck cut and high heeled shoes.

  “You look very pretty,” Doug commented when Jan finished putting on jewelry and grabbed her purse to leave the room. He didn’t add sexy as well, but he thought it.

  “You look handsome too,” she replied and kissed him.

  “The restaurant is just down the street, if you want to walk there.”

  “I do. It’s a beautiful evening and I want to enjoy the scenery.”

  Doug held her hand as they caught the elevator down to the lobby and exited the hotel. There were several Qumru citizens out strolling in the warm weather. The sun was setting and they could see the ocean gleaming in the distance with the last strands of sunlight. The local people looked very happy and the sounds of laughter hung in the air.

  “It’s so strange to see aliens enjoying themselves on their planet as much as we do on Mars or Earth. I can’t get over where we really are,” Doug expressed as they walked.

  “Our children are going to experience so much more than we ever did, knowing what is out in the universe. It’s hard to imagine what they’ll see and do.”

  “I know. Who knew what first contact with aliens would lead to? I just hope war doesn’t’ destroy all we know and have before they get a chance to experience all this for themselves.”

  They reached the restaurant. According to the reviews, they were about to experience the finest foods Holtu produced; none of which was made from live animals.

  Tumil greeted them at the door. “I’m so glad you could make it. You are going to enjoy this place.” He touched Janice’s forehead with his own as is the customary greeting and then shook Doug’s hand in acceptance of Earth custom.

  James was already seated at their table and stood up to greet Doug and Jan when they arrived. He embraced Jan with a hug and shook Doug’s hand. “I hope you both are hungry. The food smells wonderful.”

  Everyone sat down and ordered drinks. Tumil said, “Be careful of the drinks here. They are much stronger than what you have on Mars or Earth. We Qumru can tolerate higher alcohol content than humans from what I’ve observed.”

  “You haven’t seen Marines drink, Tumil. We can tolerate anything.” They laughed at Doug’s joke.

  “Tell me, Tumil. What should we order?” Jan asked politely looking at the food menu, which they could not read.

  “I recommend the fish dishes. They are prepared with our own oils and spices and cooked to the temperature you wish.”

  “Are they real fish, or artificially produced?” James asked.

  “Most are all synthetically produced from fish compounds. Many of our animal and fish dishes are thus prepared. You cannot tell the difference. Very few Qumru eat any live animals on this planet. The taste is indistinguishable from real food, but much better for our health. No one can get sick from eating our food—or become overweight.”

  “What about humans. Can we eat the same food as you?”

  “Of course. You were all tested when you arrived and received nutrients to prevent any ill effects from our food or water. Let your taste buds determine what you like in our food. I recommend any dish on the first page.”

  Tumil explained what each dish was like and they all ordered dinner. Doug proposed a toast. “May we all stay safe and happy until we meet again on Holtu.”

  Tumil raised his glass in salute. “A fine toast! May I add; I wish the same to all who live on our home planets until we meet again.”

  Everyone, except Jan, clinked glasses and they drank the equivalent what would pass for wine on Earth, only much stronger.

  “I must warn you, our drinks are very potent. The good news is you won’t feel any hangover the next day,” Tumil said. That
was good news as far as the males were concerned.

  “I will try a sip to see what it tastes like, but I must abstain from drinking too much for the baby’s sake.” Jan said, although she knew breakthroughs eliminated any medical complications long ago.

  The conversation turned to what Doug and Jan experienced on their brief excursion beyond the city today and what they would like to explore the next time they visited Holtu. There was no mention of the threat from the Yoyka or the war sure to follow, although it was in the back of everyone’s mind. It was time to enjoy the company of friends and pretend the future was bright with unlimited possibilities, even if that was just an illusion.

  Chapter 24

  Return To Mars

  True to Tumil’s word, Doug awoke the next day in their hotel room without any hangover effects. However, other details were a bit foggy.

  “Did you enjoy your evening out, dear?” Jan chided him as he tried to get out of bed.

  Doug rubbed his eyes and blinked at the bright light peaking through the curtains. Doug remembered that he and the others had decided to check out some of the local bars after they dropped Jan back at the hotel after dinner. He didn’t arrive back to his room until very early in the morning. He decided it would be better if he didn’t say too much at the moment. “It was a very interesting night. I’ll explain later.”

  Doug plodded his way to the bathroom to shave and shower. Today they would leave for Mars and he didn’t know when he would get the chance to experience a long hot shower in a room like this. He finished shaving and turned on the shower. The water was warm and inviting. He reached for the soap when the door opened behind him and Jan joined him.

  “I would like to know what you boys did last night without me.” Jan said without reproach. She took the bar of soap from his hand and began rubbing his back.